Adjusting mechanism



' July 5, 1921.

F. x. MALocsAY ADJus'rING MECHANISM Patented July 5, 19.27.

Unirse STATES PATENT oFFicE.

FRANCIS X. MALGCSAY, 0F UPPER SADDLE RIVER, NEN JERSEY, *ASSIGNORTOINTER- NATIONAL BANDING MACHINE COMPANY, A CORPQRATON OF NEW YORK.

'ADJUSTING MECHANISM.

Application filed May 21,

This invention relates to machines in which a plurality of articles ar-efed one at a time to a predetermined feeding position and thereafter aretransferred automatically from said feeding position to operatingposition, where the articles are act-ed upon by a second machine. Moreparticularly this invention relates to combined cigar' feeding andbanding machines in which a plurality of cigars are adapted to be f-edautomatically one at a time to feeding position and then transferred byautomatic means to banding position where the handing :machine operatesupon them to Vapply a band.

it will he understood that the mechanism which moves tli-e cigars fromfeeding position to banding position operates through a predetermineddistance each time. So that, if the cigar is properly gaged in feedingposition, it will, when moved to banding position, be properly gagedrelative to the bandapplying machine. It is ess Aitial that the cigar inbanding position should be very accurately gaged, because any deviationfrom properly gaged position will'cause the band to be appliedirregularly or out of centralized position. `The cigar, when in feedingposition, is properly gaged by suitable gaging means which limit itsmovement toward the feeding position. in this position, the longitudinalaxis of the cigar occupies a certain definite predetermined position,which may be indicated by a line which may be called B. From thisposition th-e cigar is moved to banding position, and when properlygaged in banding position, its longitudinal axis will coincide with apredetermined axis of the banding machine, which we may call A. Thethrow of the transferring means is such that the longitudinal axis ofthe cigar will be moved from B to A. ^f,now, a cigar of different Width,for example, a much thinner cigar, replaces the thicker cigar and is infeeding position against the same limit of gaging means, it will beapparent that the Ylongitudinal axis of the thinner cigar will besomewhat removed from the position occupiedby the longitudinal axis ofthe thick cigar. If, now,-the thin cigar is moved by the transferringmeans to the banding position, the distance through which thelongitudinal axis of the t-hin cigar moves is the same as the distancethrough which the longitudinal i banding position.

1923. Serial N0. 640,464.

axis of the thick cigar moves. So that, if the axis of the thin cigaris'removed from the position occupied by the axis of the thick cigarinfeeding positiomthe. axis of the thin cigar will be similarly removedfrom' the position occupied by the axis of the thick cigar in bandingposition, so that, if the machine were set for the thick cigar so thatthe latter were. in properly gaged feeding position and bandingposi-tion, the thin cigar will be offset from the properly gaged feedingposition and similarly offset from the properly gaged banding position,

so that the band will not be properly applied'. v Y

lt is oneof the objects of this invention, therefore, to provideadjusting means whereby the cigar in feeding position may be adjustedcorresponding to the various thicknesses of cigars, so that, regardlessof the size of the cigaigit will occupy the properly centralizedposition when in banding or operating position. F or this purpose iprovide means for varying the throw of the feeding meansand gaging meanstoward feeding positions() as to bring the cigars, regardless of theirthickness, always to the saine predetermined feeding position. Thus,'fora thinnercigar, the movement of the feeding and gaging means towardfeeding position would be decreased so as to move the longitudinal axisof the cigar away from the banding position, while for a thicker cigarthe movement of the feeding and gaging means toward feeding positionwould be increased to move the axis of the cigar nearer the bandingposition.

For transferring vthe cigars from feeding position to banding position,I employ suitable gripping means adapted to engage the cigar in feedingposition and move it to This gripping means is adapted to engage thecigar substantially over its entire upper and lower surfaces. itisapparent, therefore, that if a thinner cigar were substituted for athicker cigar, if

the gripping means would extend beyond the cigar in feeding position andengage a part of the second cigar, when the gripping means is operatedto banding position, there is a likelihood'A that more than one cigarwould be moved at a time to banding position. To obviate thisdiiiiculty, therefore, it isnecessary to adjust the movement of thegripping members toward feeding position as well as to adjust the throwof the feeding and gaging means toward feeding position, whenever cigarof different thickness is inserted in the machine. Thus, Vfor a thincigar not only is the movement of the feeding and gaging means towardfeeding position decreased, but the movement of the gripping meanstoward said position is also decreased, because itl is not necessary forsaid gripping means to travel quite as far to grip this thin cigar overits entire surface. Similarly, for a thicker cigar, the movement of thefeeding and gaging means toward feeding position is increased and themovei'nent of the gripping means toward feeding position is similarlyincreased, because it is necessary for said gripping means to travel agreater distance to engage the entire surface of the thicker cigar.

Ylt is a further object of my invention to provide means forsimultaneously adjusting the movement of the feeding and gaging meansand the movement of the gripping means, since, as we have seen, there isa deiinite relationship between the two in that the movement of all ofsaid means toward feeding position is increased together or decreasedtogether corresponding to various thicknesses of cigars.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a single operatingmember for simultaneously adjusting both the feeding and gaging meansand the gripping means. By this construction, it is possible for theoperator to make the necessary adjustments rapidly and efliciently.

It is a further object of my invention to provide graduated meanswhereby the operator can tell at a glance exactly to what degree theadjustments have been made, so that the machine can he set accuratelyfor 'various thicknesses of cigars.

`)ther objects and advantages will appear as the nature oftheimprovements is better understood, the invention consistingsubstantially in the novel arrangement and co-relation ofinstrumentalities herein fully described and illustrated in theaccompanying drawing considered together or separately and then finallypointed out and specifically defined and indicated in the appendedclaims.

The disclosure made. the basis of exemplifying the present inventiveconcept suggests a practical. enibodiment thereof, but the invention isnot to be restricted to the exact details of this disclosure, and thelatter, therefore, is to be understood from an illustrative, rather thana restrictive, standpoint. Y

The inventive idea involved is capable of 'receiving a variety-ofmechanical expressions, one of which, for the purposes of illustranen,is shawn iaith@ accompanying drawing, in which is shown a front view ofmy machine with parts broken away for the purpose of clarifying thestructure.

The device comprises essentially a feeding mechanism for moving cigarsor similar articles up to the feeding position, indicated by the line B,the gripping mechanism for transferring the cigar or other article fromfeeding position to banding or operating position indicated by line A,and the adjusting,` mechanism for adjusting both of said iirst nameddevices. Y

A layer of cigars lis adapted to be discharged from a hopper upon atable 2 in such manner that the cigars occupy the same relativepositions as in the cigar box when packed.

The feeding mechanism comp ses a plurality of bars 3, which operate inslots out in the table top and which are given both an up-ai'id-down andleft-to-right n'iovement. The movement is, therefore, essentiallyelliptic. ln their upward and right movement, the bars are raised abovetable 2 to lift the ci jars olf the table and move them forwardly to theright. In the lower and left movement they deposit the cigars on thetable and move beneath the table out of contact with the cigars. lWhenthey reach their extreme left position they begin if their upward andright movement to feed the cigars forwardly again the distance of onecigar width.

Each bar 3 is provided with a downwardly extending fork 30 vadapted tostraddle a shaft 5 at one end of an G of a bell crank 7, pivoted in ahanger 8, fixed to the main frame of the machine. Also pivetcd on theaxis of shaft 5, is a gagelinger 9 adapted in its extreme movement tothe right to the cigar in'feeding position. The gage linger 9 is alsogiven an up-and-down and a right-and-left movement. The gage 'linger iscaused to lag somewhat behind the downward movement of the bars (bymechanism to be hereinafter described) so to hold the first cigar infeeling position B until the left upper and lower gripping lingers il,Ll contact with the ciOar in feeding position preparatory to moving saidcigar to banding position Then the gage finger 9 is lov*- ered out ofContact with the cigar in feeding position, and the movement thereof tothe left is substantially the same as that of the bars. For the purposeof giving the bars their up-and-down movement there are provided bellcranks l2 pivoted on the fixed frame at 43, having rollers 42 at the endof one arm and having their other arms-connected by link 13 to effectparallel movement of said bell cranks. The bell cranks are rotated bylink 14 connected to the pivot of one of lthem (here shown as left bellcrank), the said link being connected to a link l5 attached/at 96 tobell crank 1,6, pivoted at lOl) 17 on the main frame of the machine andoperated from a cam 92 atthe extreme'right, said cam being continuouslyrotated from any suitable source of power to provide continuous rockingof said bell crank 16, and hence continuous up-anddown movement of thebars 3. That is, for each revolution of the cam the bars will make acomplete up-and down cycle. @ompounded with the rip-anddown movement ofthe bars is the forward and rearward movement which is effected by meansof the bell crank 7, one arm 6 of which engages in the forks 30 on theunderside of the bars, said bell crank 7 having a roller in engagementwith a cam 26 carried by hub 27 fixed to the extreme left end of anoperating shaft 29 adapted to be reciprocated continuously. Shaft 29fixed at the right end in a hub 46having rollers 47 whereby the shaftand the mechanism carried thereby is supported on rails 48 on the fixedframe of the machine. The shaft 29, together with the hub 27 and cam 26,may be reciprocated by means of a link 30 connected thereto at 31, saidlink being pivotally connected to a lever 94, adapted to be operated bycam 32 which rotates continuously. At the end of the movement of the cam26 to the right, the bars 3 drop because of the action ofthe cam 92 andthe connecting mechanism. The cam eventually moves so far to the rightthat gage finger 9 engages the row of cigars on the ,table which'havesuflicient resistance toprevent further downward rotation of bell crank7. The roller 25 may at this time be some distance off the cam 26. Bythis arrangement` therefore, it is assured thatl the gage finger 9 willin every case come into contact with the next cigar to be moved tofeeding' position. The degree of movement of the gage finger to the leftis such that said finger engages the row of cigars and moves said rowsslightly to the left before it reaches the limit of its left movement.During the movementof cam 26 to the left. bell crank 7 is rotated tomove the bars 3 and finger 9 tothe right to feeding position. Not onlythe bars, therefore, but the finger 9 gets its right and left movementfrom cam 26, operated by the shaft 29. Finger 9, however, is onlypivotally connected toene arm of bell crank 7 and is given a separateindependent up-and-down movement, so that when the bars go down toVdeposit the cigars on the table top 2, the gage 9 still remains upwarduntil the gripping fingers 4, 4.a engage the cigar in feeding position.B Vfhen the fingers 4, 4"1 have engaged the cigar in position B, thegage 9 is drawn downwardly to disengage said vfirst cigar and is movedrearwardly by bell crank 7 together with bars 3 and is later movedupwardly to engage the said cigar after having been drawn back somewhatless than one -cigar width. The movement to the Vleft cigar.

continues so that gage 9 probably moves the row of cigars to the left atrifle, as described, thus ensuring engagement with the next Themovement to the right is then accomplished as before by the bell crank 7the bars being in elevated position, through vthe operation of links 14,l5. To give the gage iinger 9 a separate up-and-down movement thereis'pivoted thereto at 45, intermediate `the length thereof a. link 33,whose other end has a universal connection 34 to a hub 3 5, `which' isoperated by a bell crank 36 and cam 37, said cam being similar to cam32, and said crank being similar to .crank 16. The operation of thefeeding mechanism, although apparent from the foregoing description, maybe described as follows:

Assume gage finger 9 and bars 3 are in their extreme left position-s.The gage finger' is in engagement with the nextc'igar to be moved tofeeding position. The bars are then moved upwardly, the finger havingbeen raised during the stroke to the left, to lift the cigars ofi' thetable and to the right. The eXtreme right position of the bars and gagefinger determines the feeding position of the cigars. rIfhe bars arethen lowered to deposit the cigars Von the table top, but the gagefinger still remains elevated in engagement with the cigar in feedingposition until the gripping fingers 4, 4a come into contact with thesaid cigar (by mechanism as hereinbefore described). Y finger is loweredout of engagement with the cigar in feeding position and is moved withthe bars toward the left. Near the end 0f its stroke toward the left,the finger 9 is elevated -in front of the neXt cigar to be moved tofeeding position. This elevation of finger 9 occurs, therefore, beforethe finger has been moved to the left the distance of one cigar width.The total stroke to the left somewhat exceeds one cigarwidth, ashereinbefore described, to ensure engagement of the finger with the rowof cigars. The bars arethen moved upwardly and to the right to feedingposition, as before. The timing of the various movements depends, ofcourse, upon t-he shape, size and position of the various driving camsdescribed, and this maybe regulated at will to accomplish the desiredresults.

Also carried by the. main driving sha-ft29 through a link 5ly is theguide or gripper block connected to said link at 4 9 and which isYslidable on the shaft 29 for the purposes of adjustment (by means to beyhereinafter described), but once adjusted,

nieves therewith through the connection comprising the link 51 and lever52 of theV adjustment. Said lever 52 is pivoted on a shaft 53 in the hub27, the cam 26 moving integrallywith said slaaf-tand lever. Since thehub is carried on and reeiprocated by yShaft 2.9, the link .5l will beSimilarly atta- Then the gage ino 4crank 16 to be reciprocat.

ated to move the gripper block to the right as the cam moves to theright, and move it to the left as the cam moves to 'the left. Since,when the cam 26 moves toward the left, the feed bars 3 and gage finger 9move toward the right, it will be obvious that the gripper block antgripper lingers carried tnereby will be moved toward the left, or, inother words, in a direction opposite to the bars. That is, as the barsfeed a cigar to feeding position, the gripper block and its grippingfinger move toward the cigar to engage it preparatory to moving it tothe banding position. it is, of course, necessary that the grippinglingers carried by the gripper block should be spread apart verticallybefore they engage the cigar in feeding position, so that they may comein contact with its upper and lower surfaces. For this purpose thegripper block carries upper lingers 4 which are held elevated while thegripper block is moving to the left by means of gripper bar 62 pivotallymounted at 63 on the hub 46 in which shaft 29 is fixed. Said bar 62rests upon the upper end 65 of a link 66 within the gripper block andhaving engagement (by a linkage or gearing, not shown) with a slide 6lcarrying the linger 4 at its upper end. As long as gripper bar 62 restsupon the upper end of said link, the finger 4 will be elevated. TWhenthe main carriage is moving toward the left to engage the cigar infeeding position B, means are provided for holding the gripper bar 62 inlowered position to keep the finger 4 elevated. The lower finger 41 iscarried upon the end of an arm 83 pivoted at 84 upon the upper end ofgripper block 60 and having a pin 65 adapted to engage the upper end ofblock 6() to limit its downward movement. The bar S3 and fingers 4a areadapted to rest upon gripper bar 62 to be raised and lowered as said baris, raised and lowered. So that, when gripper bar 62 is in loweredposition, lingers 4 are elevated and fingers 4a are lowered, so thatthese lingers may pass over and under the cigar in feeding positionpreparatory to grasping said cigar. `Then the fingers are in positionover and under they cigar in feeding position, the bar 62 is adapted tobe raised, thus allowing finger 4 to be lowered into engagement with thecigar and raising finger 4L into engagementwith the lower surface of thecigar. As the main carriage moves toward the right, the cigar in feedingposition li will be carried to banding position A. At this point the bar62 is adapted to be depressed again to raise lingers 4 and permitfingers 421 to drop, thus releasing the cigar in banding position. Forraising and lowering the gripper bar 62, there is provided a link 90pivotally connected at 9i to the gripper bar 62 and connected atitsother end to bell d. by the 'cani which operates said bell crank. Thefingers 4 will normally tend to drop by gravity into engagement with thecigars, and, if desired, this movement may be assisted by a spring.

The operation of the device thus described, therefore, is as follows:

Assuming the parts to be in the position shown in the drawing, the nextmovement will be that of finger 9 which will drop, the bars 3 havingpreviously been lowered, and then the bars and finger 9 will be movedtoward the left, while the cigar in position i3 is moved to position A.At this point the bars 3 are elevated in front beneath the next cigar,the finger 9 having been elevated in front of the next cigar during themove-v ment to the left, and after reaching the limit of their movementto the left, move upwardly and to the right to carry the next cigar tofeeding position. 62 has dropped this elevating ,finger 4 and permittedfingers 4a to drop out of contact with the cigar which it has carried tobanding position, and with the fingers thus spread apart, the carriagemoves toward the right until fingers 4 and 4a are above and below thecigar in feeding position. At this point bar 62 rises to lift fingers'4a into engagement with the bottom surface of the cigar' in feedingposition and permit fingers 4 to fdrop into engagement with the uppersurface of the cigar in feeding position, so that the parts are again inthe position shown in the drawing and the operation is repeated.

The adjusting mechanism.

The link 80, operated from the lever 94, is given a certain throw by cam32, said link 30 being connected to shaft 29, and hence transmitting thethrow to cam 26 and gripper block 60 and gripper bar 62. This movementis always constant and is the distance from B to A. As has beendescribed, on the-movement of gage finger 9 to the left, said fingercomes up slightly in advance of the next cigar which is to be moved tofeeding position and upon continued movement to the left engages saidnext cigar and thereafter, when the feeding mechanism operates towardthe right, the feeding bars and gage, together with the cigar with whichthe gage contacts, are brought to the feeding position. The gage finger9 will, without adjustment, always occupy the position shown when ineXtreme right position, so that it is obvious that if a cigar one-halfthe size of the one shown were to be fed, said cigar would have itsaxis, instead of on the line B, half way between line B and the finger9. 'Vhen, now, the gripper head moves the distance equal to the distancefrom B to A, the axis of the cigar at A 'will be as much to the left ofA as' it was to the left of B, Since it is essential that the Meanwhilebar cigar should be properly positioned at the banding machine,forrotherwise lthe band would not be' properly applied, some adjustmentmust be made whereby the axis of the cigar, no matter what its width,will always be, when in feeding position, upon the line B, so that whenthe gripper head moves the distance from B to A, its axis, when moved tobanding position, wiil always be the amount of throw to the right of'the gage finger.

An operating handle 116, pivoted at 115 upon a bracket 111, dependingfrom hub 2 7, is formed integrally therewith. an arm 118 engaging in theforked end of the pivoted lever 52, said lever being pivoted at 53 inthe hub 27 whih is fixed to the end of shaft 29, pivotal axis 5B havingfixed at its other end .the cam 26. Obviously, by rotating the handle116, cam 26 will be rotated to provide greater or lesser inclination andhence greater or lesser throw of the feed bars and` gage 9 tothe right.An index plate 119 may be provided with index numerals 120 and withopenings 121 into which a spring detent 117, carried 'by arm 116, mayextend. 'It is'only necessary to adjust the movement of feed bars 3 andgagefinger 9to the right, since,'as we have seen, in its left movement,the cam roller leaves the cam 26 Aand the fingerY 9 is free to swing'into engagement with the next cigar regardless of its width. Bythisadjustment, therefore, it will be seen'that if a narrower cigar is to befed, the gage finger is adjusted to move so that its extreme rightposition is nearer the axis B by the desired amount; lin other words,its' throw to the right is diminished. Tf a wider cigar is to be fed,the gage finger is adjusted so that its extreme right position is,`further away from the axis B, that is, the throw to the right isincreased.

Since the gripping fingers 4 and 4ar grip the cigar in feeding positionpreparatory to transferring it to banding position, it will be seenthatif agnarrower cigar iis employed than the one shown, for example,knot only will the first cigar be positioned between fingers 4 and 4a,but said'fingers will also overlap the second cigar and may drag twocigars therewith toward' the banding 'position. It is, therefore,apparent that when the gage finger 9 is adjusted for a wider or narrowercigar, it is necessary also to adjust the extreme left positions offingers 4 and 4*, that isif the extreme right posi- 'tion of gage finger9 is moved nearer the axis B for a thinner'cigar, the `extreme leftposition of gripping fingers 4 and y4a must bemoved toward the right,sothat the ends thereof also approach the axis B; that is, the distancefrom the ends of the gripper lingers 4 and 4a, and gage finger 9 isreduced to substantially the new width of the cigar, orincreased, as thecase may be. To accomplish this thel gripper head carrying the gripperfingers 4 and 4fL is not fixed to the shaft 29 but is slidably mountedthereon and is connected thereto, as we have seen, by the link 51. Saidlink is connected at oner end to the gripper head v and at the other endto' the lever 52, so that as adjustment is made by handle 116 to Vmovethe extreme right position of the gage finger 9 toward or away from theraxis B, the gripper head will be operated in the reverse direction, thatis, if the gage finger 9 is moved toward the left by this adjustment,the gripper head is moved toward the right, and vice versa. The gripperhead is prevented from yrotating about shaft 29 by means of a downwardlyextending straddle member 130, adapted to straddle fixed shaft 131.

The entire machine can be driven from anysuitable source of power, as bya motor, either' directly or from a suitable belting to drive the shaftl40 which carries cam 37. Said shaft may be geared to the shaft whichcarries the cams 32 and 92 at the rear of themachine, so that all of thecams will be operated in unison, thus ensuring proper timing. f

Suitable springs 100, 101, 102 may be provided for normally holding bellcranks 7 and 16 and link 94'in effective engagement with their cams.

Throughout this specification I have described my iuvention inconnection with a cigar feeding and banding mechanism, but I wish it.distinctly understood that this was solely for illustrative purposes andto describe one practical embodiment of my invention, and that theinvention herein is capable of a wide variety of uses on otherarticles.' Thus, for example, the device can be utilized in connectionwith candy wrapping or banding machinery or generally with any type ofwrapping or banding machine wherein a plurality of similar articles arefed to a bandingor wrapping machine and then, discharged.

The subject matter of this application is disclosed in my co-pendingapplication, Serial No. 640,463, filed May 21, 1923.

In accordance with'hthe provisions of the `patent statutes, I havedescribed the principle of my invention together with the apparatuswhich I now consider to represent a practical embodiment thereof, but Idesire it understood that my invention is not confined to the particularform of apparatus herein shown and described, the same being merelyillustrative, and that the invention can be carried out in other wayswithout departing from the spirit of my invention, and therefore, Iclaim broadly the right to employ all equivalent instrumentalitiescoming within the scope of the appended claims, and by means of whichobjects of my invention are attained, and the new results accomplished,as herein set forth, as it is obvious that the particular embodimentherein shown and described are only some of many that can be employed toattain these objects and accomplish these results.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by'Iietters Patent is: Y

1.'In a device of the character described, means for feeding a pluralityof cigars one at a time to feeding position, and means for adjustingsaid first named means corresponding to various sized cigars.

2. In a device of the character described, reciorocable means forfeeding a plurality of cigars one at a time to feeding position, audmeans for adjusting the throw of said reciprocable means in feeding`direction corresponding to various sized cigars.

3. In a device of the character describec, reciprocable means forfeeding a plurality of cigars one at a time to feeding position,reciprocable means for gaging the cigars in feeding` position, and meansfor adjusting the throw of said reciprocable means in feeding` directioncoriesponding to various sized cigars.

li. In a device of the character described, means for feeding a`plurality of articles to feeding posit-ion, means for actuating saidfirst named means, means for adjusting said last named means to vary theextent of operation of said feeding means, said last named meanscomprising a cam, and means for varying the inclination of said cam.

5. In a device of the character described, means for feeding a pluralityof articles one at a time to feeding position, means adapted to movetoward feeding position to gage the article in feeding positionpreparatory to moving said article to operating position, and means forsimultaneously adjusting the extentof movement of said first two meanstoward feeding position corresponding to various sized articles.

6. In a device of the character described, means for feeding` aplurality of articles one at a time to feeding position, means foradjusting said first named means to vary the extent of movement thereoftoward feedingl position, gripping lingers adapted to engage the articlein feeding position and move it to operating position, and means forregulating the movement of said fingers with respect to the article infeeding position simultaneous with the adjustment of said first namedmeans.

7. In a device of the character described, means for feeding a`plurality of articles one at a time to feeding position, means foradjusting said first named means to vary the extent of movement thereoftoward feeding position, gripping fingers adapted to engage the articlein feeding position and move it to operating position, means foradjusting the position of said fingers relative to the article infeeding position, and a single operating member for both of saidadjusting means.

S. In combined cigar feeding and banding` machine, means for feeding aplurality of cigars one at a time to feeding position, means adapted tomove toward feeding position to engage the cigar in feeding positionpreparatory to moving said cigar to banding position, and means foradjusting the extent of movement toward feeding position of said firsttwo means corresponding to cigars of various thicknesses.

9. In a combined cigar feeding and banding machine, means for feeding aplurality of cigars one at a time to feeding position, means adapted tomove toward feeding position to engage the cigar in feeding position`preparatory to moving said cigar to banding position, and means fordecreasing` the extent of movement toward feeding position of said firsttwo means corresponding to cigars of lesser thickness and increasing theextent of said movement corresponding to cigars of greater thickness.

l0. In a combined cigar feeding and banding machine, means for feeding aplurality of cigars one at a time to feeding position, means adapted tomove toward feeding position to engage the cigar in feeding positionV`preparatory to moving said cigar to banding position, ineansfordecreasing the extent of movement toward feeding position of said i'irsttwo means corresponding to cigars of lesser thickness and increasing theextent of said movement corresponding to cigars of greater thickness,and manually operable means for operating both adjustmentssimultaneously.

ll. In a combined cigar feeding and banding machine, reciprocable ymeansfor feeding a plurality of cigars one at a time lto feeding position,reciprocable means adapted to move the cigar in feeding position tobanding position, and means for adjusting the limit of throw of both ofsaid reciprocable means toward feeding position corresponding to cigarsof various thicknesses.

12. In a combined cigar feeding and banding machine, means for feeding aplurality of cigars one at a time to feeding position,

gripping fingers adapted to engage the cigar in feeding position andmove it to banding position, and means for adjusting the position ofsaid fingers relative to the cigar in feeding position.

13. In a combined cigar feeding and banding machine, means for feeding'a plurality of cigars one at a time to feeding position, grippingfingers adapted to engage the cigar in feeding position and move it tobanding position, and means for adjustingthe extent of movement towardfeeding position of said fingers corresponding to various thicky nessesof cigars.

14. In combined cigar feeding and banding machine, means for feeding aplurality of cigars one at a time to feeding position, gripping fingersadapted to engage the cigar in feeding position and move it to bandingposition, and means for decreasing the extent of movement toward feedingposition of said nngers corresponding to a thinner cigar and increasingsaid movement for a thicker cigar.

15. In a combined cigar feeding and banding machine, means for feeding aplurality of cigars one at a time lto feeding position, means forvadjusting said first named means to vary the extent of movement thereoftoward feeding position, gripping fingers adapted to engage the cigar infeeding position and move it to banding position, and means foradjusting the position of said fingers relative to the cigarl in feedingposition.

16. In a combined cigar feeding and banding machine, means for feeding aplurality of cigars one at a time to feeding position, means foradjusting said first named means to vary the extent of movement thereoftoward feeding position, gripping fingers adapted to engage the cigar infeeding position and move it to banding position, and means foradjusting the position of said fingers relative to the cigar in feedingposition and in opposite directions.

17'. In a combined cigar feeding and banding machine, means for feedinga ,plurality kof cigars one at a time to feeding position, means foradjusting said first named means to vary the extent of movement thereoftoward feeding position, gripping fingers adapted toengage the cigar infeeding position and move it to banding position, means for adjustingthe position of said fingers relative to the cigar in feeding position,and a single operating member for both of said adjusting means.

18. In a device of the'character described, a conveyor, means for'imparting to said conveyor elliptical motion, said conveyor beingadapted on its upward movement to raise a plurality of articles from astationary platform and to deposit the same in an anvanced position onsaid platform the Width of one of said articles, means for regulating'the distance of advance of said conveyor, means associated with saidfirst means to imp-art an elliptical motion to a finger which Will raisesaid finger in advance of an oncoming article and retract the finger toposition said article at a predetermined point, means independent ofsaiddmparting means for imposing a lag upon the downward movement ofsaid yfinger and means associated With said regulatory means adapted tovary the distance of retraction of said finger. l

19. In a device of the character described, a conveyor, means forimparting to said conveyor elliptical motion, said conveyor beingadapted on its upward movement tok raise aA plurality of articles from astationary platform and to deposit the same in an advanced position onsaid platform the Width 0f one of said articles, means for regulatingthe distance of advance of said conveyor, means associated with saidfirst means to impart an elliptical motion to a finger which Will raisesaid finger `in advance of an oncoming article and retract theV fingerto position said article at a predetermined point, means independent ofsaid imparting means for imposing a lag lupon the downwardv movement ofsaid finger, means associated with said regulatory means adapted to varythe distance of retraction of said finger, means comprising a pair ofvertically operable jaws adapted to be reciprocated in a horizontalplane and to grasp the article in the said predetermined position and toadvance it into a second predetermined position, meansV beingA providedto vary the amplitude of the horizontal movement of the jaws, as and forthe purpose described.

This specification signed this 7 day of May, 1923.

FRANCIS X. MALOCSAY.

